One method of constructing swimming pools, particularly above-ground swimming pools, comprises the erection of fixed structural walls and a floor for the pool which are not watertight but which have sufficient structural strength to contain the water. A pool liner made of polyvinyl chloride or similar sheet material is then placed over the structural walls and floor of the pool to make it watertight. Swimming pool liners typically have a top peripheral edge portion that is attached at or adjacent to the top of the structural walls of the pool. Generally, a beading is used to attach the liner to or adjacent the top of the pool walls in order to ensure that the liner does not detach from the wall and slip down below the water line.
There are several ways in which a pool liner may be attached to a pool structural wall. One common technique is to have the beading overlap the top of the pool wall and act as a hook to hold the liner in place. Sometimes a cap is placed over the beading to secure the beading to the pool wall. Another common technique is to utilize a liner track formed by an S-hook or J-hook which has one end hooked over the pool wall and the other end defining a channel or track in which the beading is affixed to the pool wall.
Beading structures vary depending on the attachment style. Different types of beadings are required for different pool wall configurations. Some attempts have been made to provide a multi-purpose beading that can be used with more than one attachment style. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,151-Schwimmer and U.S. Pat. No. 6,671,895-Lewis and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0235862-Lewis et al disclose dual purpose beadings for swimming pool liners that are used for attaching a pool liner to a pool wall either by hanging the beading over a pool wall or by securing the beading into a receptor type coupling, e.g., an S-hook or J-hook type coupling, attached to the pool wall.